Predictable
by Literature Rogue
Summary: DRABBLECHALLENGE. A series of shorts focusing on important points in George and Izzie's relationship.
1. Chapter 1: Sleep

**Doc Note: **Well, as my writing might indicate no, I am not dead. Real life is being stressful and time consuming, taking away my time for writing. So, to get my creative juices flowing, I've decided to take part in a drabble challenge. For those of you who don't know what a drabble challenge is, it's a challenge of 30 prompts about a specific character/pairing/TV show, all of which have to be exactly one hundred words. Twenty-five are given to you, and five are author's choice.

As my favorite couple just might be breaking onto the small screen, I've chosen O'Stevens. Yes, that's George/Izzie. Enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Grey's Anatomy. If I had, George and Izzie would have been love from day one (which they totally were anyway).

* * *

**

**001: Sleep**

_Continuity: Anytime._

It was a given. Sleep deprivation was in the job description of a surgeon.

But, George never dreamed he'd never get any sleep in his own house. With Izzie, it was difficult to sleep. And Izzie managed to slip into his bed every night. She was quiet, but always coaxed him into some deep, philosophical conversation at three a.m.

It was currently 4 a.m.

"Izzie?"

Silence. Breathing. Stirring. And then Izzie settled back down, her limbs impossibly entangled with his. George sighed, head propped on her shoulder.

George wouldn't sleep this morning. He was content to simply watch her sleep.

* * *

**002: Scars**

_Continuity: After Season Three_

It was quiet. She stood over him in the locker room, he sitting on the bench. Her eyes were closed. His head was buried in his face.

"It's been over a year," she muttered.

"Izzie," he groaned, gaze shifting to meet hers. "Don't."

"It's been over a year and I still think of him. Every day, George."

He stood, offering a hand on her shoulder. "I still miss him. My dad, I mean." He felt Izzie shift under his hand, but his grip only tensed. "You can't forget. He's a part of you. You wouldn't be the same without him."

* * *

**003: Luck**

_Continuity: Anytime_

George frowned at her over the small pile of a three socks and two shoes on the table._ "_Bluff."

"Call it."

George's brow furrowed.

Izzie simply stared at him. She had a great poker face.

"I see your shoe and raise you a shirt."

It was Izzie's turn to frown.

"You got nothin'," George prodded.

"_You_ got nothin'." Izzie laid her hand down face up.

George followed suit, muttering under his breath.

Izzie had three aces. George had two kings and a jack.

He yanked his shirt over his head, throwing it onto the table. "Dumb luck..."

Izzie grinned. "Bluff."

* * *

**004: Animal**

_Continuity:_ During_ 'My Favorite Mistake'._

It was strange. Generally, she was the dominant one in their relationship. He was _George_. Gentle, best friend George. Tonight, he was definitely not best friend George.

In fact, with him leaning over her with that hungry look in his eyes he didn't even look like the George she knew. He looked like, well, an animal.

"George-" she'd protested as he nibbled at her neck. "We can't do this."

"Izzie, _Iz_," he'd insisted. "I _need_ you now."

And, it might have been the alcohol, but she was sure he 'needed' her in a different way then just best friend Izzie.

* * *

**005: (Authors Choice One**) **First**

_Continuity: After Season Three_

"Nice night." He sucked at small talk. Izzie shot him that amused grin.

"Yeah. Nice." George fidgeted, readjusted his tie. She took a sip of wine.

"So..."

Awkward silence.

Awkward silence.

_Awkward silence_.

Since when did it become awkward between them? She was Izzie and he was George. They were best friends! George shivered. They weren't _just_ best friends anymore.

This was real. They were dating. This was their first official date.

"I'm sorry."

Izzie stared at him. Somehow she knew exactly what he meant. "George. It's perfect."

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

George blushed furiously.


	2. Chapter 2: Cold

**Doc Note: **To be clear, the challenge is started to create thirty drabbles. I'd like to see how far I can take this. If any of you have a one-word prompt you'd like to suggest for O'Stevens, let me know and I'll see what I can do. It would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and no offence to Sanjaya meant in this chapter. But, in my opinion, he was terrible.

* * *

**006: Cold**

_Continuity:_ During _Time After Time_

His hands were cold. That was the only thought processing through her head at the time. Izzie paid no attention to the hole being drilled into her hip. She was preoccupied with the fact that George's hands were cold.

Which was completely contradictory to the rest of George.

George's eyes were warm, even behind that firm stare he was giving her. His voice was comforting. Even George's breath was warm against her ear.

"Just so you know, I'm staying. Here. For you."

George's hands were cold.

But they was nothing compared to how his words had just made Izzie shiver.

* * *

**007: Dead**

_Continuity:_ During _Losing My Religion_

"One minute he was proposing, and now..." George was stunned speechless. Izzie's tone was strong. She was trying to keep it together. But her false strength crumbled as the tears began to spill down her cheeks. "He's gone."

George knew what she meant. 'Gone' was a synonym for 'dead' in doctors' terms. His gaze drifted briefly to Denny Duquette's limp body. He was dead. There was no doubt about it.

His eyes drifted to Izzie. It seemed as if a piece of her had died with Denny.

And George felt a little piece of him die at that moment, too.

* * *

**008: Alive**

_Continuity:_ During _Scars and Souvenirs _

"...I desperately want you."

A slur of words. A giggle fit. A crash. And then, "Ow..."

More giggling.

Heavy breathing.

Calming breaths. Inhale. Exhale. _Breathe._

And then it happened. The pause. The look. The rethinking.

And before Izzie even knew what was happening, George had leaned over, his bottom lip mashing with hers. Wide-eyed only for a moment, she relaxed into it, finding herself somewhat saddened when he pulled away.

George stared back at her, head tilted slightly to one side. Izzie stared steadily back, bring a finger to her lips.

"I have never felt so alive in my life..."

* * *

**009: Music**

_Continuity: Anytime_

_Ding!_

The elevator doors sprang open, and he smiled. Izzie slipped in next to him, pressing the trauma floor's button. George cast her a glance. She looked irritated.

"Why does elevator music always suck?"

George arched a brow. "What?"

"People joke about it all the time. You'd think someone would play some real music." She frowned.

He shrugged. "Like Madonna?"

"Or U2. Hell, I'd take Sanjaya over this stuff."

George laughs. Izzie giggles.

"Okay, maybe not Sanjaya..."

_Ding!_ The elevator doors open and George exits.

The next time they're alone in the elevator together, Izzie plays Madonna on her mp3 player.

* * *

**010: (Author's Choice Two) Mistake**

_Continuity: After My Favorite Mistake_

He averts his gaze, avoids her like the plague. Izzie still shoots him glances across the room during rounds, eyes closed as he presents his case. Even his voice soothes her, tricks her into thinking things are still the same.

He's George and she's Izzie. They're still best friends. They just made a mistake.

_Mistake_.

Izzie tests the word in her mouth and finds it tastes sour. How could anything that felt so right be a mistake?

And when she glances up as George's voice fades off, she catches him looking at her, too, and knows it wasn't a mistake.


	3. Chapter 3: Roommates

**Doc Note: **To be clear, the challenge is started to create thirty drabbles. I'd like to see how far I can take this. If any of you have a one-word prompt you'd like to suggest for O'Stevens, let me know and I'll see what I can do. It would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and no offence to Sanjaya meant in this chapter. But, in my opinion, he was terrible.

* * *

**011: Love**

_Continuity: After Time After Time_

It was obvious. He wondered how long she'd been looking at him like that. Izzie's eyes were the windows to her soul. Even while carefully avoiding her gaze, George could see it, hidden behind her fake smiles.

George knew that look. It was the look Izzie had reserved for Denny.

That look was never directed toward him. That was the look Izzie wore when she loved someone.

That meant Izzie loved him.

He averted his gaze when she looked up.

What scared George the most wasn't that Izzie loved him, but that he might be in love with her, too.

* * *

**012: Hate**

_Continuity:_ _Scars and Souvenirs_

It wasn't that she hated Callie. Callie had been good for George. She'd brought him out of that broken period after the sad sex with Meredith.

Why then, did Izzie feel a strange sense of jealousy bubbling in the pit of her stomach whenever she saw George with Callie? It could've the fact that George had hardly any time for her lately.

But this feeling was nothing compared to the time when George had moved out. This was more intense, borderline hatred.

And then Izzie came to a conclusion.

She didn't hate Callie. She just hated George and Callie together.

* * *

**013: Roommates**

_Continuity: Season Two_

"I told you not to use my toothbrush!"

Izzie ignored him. George was yelling through the door, refusing to enter while she was in the shower. "Can't hear you!"

George burst into the room, back to her. "Look, if you like my toothbrush so much I'll buy you one just like it. Just don't use mine!"

"But I like yours because it's already broken in. The new ones have rough bristles..."

"Izzie, seriously."

"Don't worry. I didn't use your toothbrush."

"...You didn't?"

"No." George gave a relieved sigh. "But Doc had major plaque buildup. Dogs' teeth are very sensitive... "

"IZZIE!"

* * *

**014: Time**

_Continuity: Anytime_

"You realize it's three a.m.?" As if the blaring red numbers on the digital clock hadn't tipped her off.

"But we're on-call. And I'm bored." George groaned as he rolled over on the bottom bunk to see Izzie's legs dangling above.

"What're you doing?"

"Time flies when you're having fun." She jumped to the ground, yanking him up by the arm and dragging him out of the room. "So let's go have some fun, and our shift'll be over in no time!"

"What are we gonna do in a deserted hospital?"

That was the night George learned of midnight wheelchair races.

* * *

**015: Moment**

_Continuity: _During _the Intern Mixer_

He poured himself his fifth glass of punch and sighed heavily. This was just like high school dances. The popular kids were mingling and having a good time, and here he was lingering next to the punch bowl-

-and a very hot blonde. Nearly choking on his punch, he extended his hand. "George O'Malley. Oregon Health and Sciences University."

He then promptly spilled red punch all down his shirt. The blonde simply grinned as he cursed, trying to mop up the spill with his tie. His eyes locked with hers, and she laughed.

"...Isobel Stevens. My friends call me Izzie."


	4. Chapter 4: Forever

**016: Ring**

_Continuity: _After_ My Favorite Mistake_

_Ring!_

She groaned into her pillow.

_Ring!_

Why hadn't she turned her cell phone off before trying to sleep? Admittedly, she hadn't been getting much sleep lately but...that wasn't the point.

_Ring!_

Fumbling with the phone for a moment, Izzie stared blankly at the contact that had appeared. _George_.

She paused for a moment, ignoring the way her heart sped up at his name. Should she answer?

_Ring!_

"...Hello?"

"_Thank God. Iz, I've missed you so much..."_

"I've...missed you too, George. "

A pause.

"_We need to talk..."_

Great. Those were four words a girl never wanted to hear.

* * *

**017: Stars**

_Continuity: Anytime_

"I honestly don't know any constellations."

She stared at him. "Seriously, George?"

"Not even the Big Dipper." Somehow, they'd both managed to get locked out of the house in the dead of night. So Izzie and George were sitting on the lawn, stargazing.

"Look," Izzie guided his hand to the brightest star. "The Big Dipper's just south of the North Star." She helped him trace it with his finger. "See it?"

"Yeah." George grinned. "I used to think stars were just fireflies stuck up in that big bluish-black thing."

Izzie laughed. "You really need to stop watching The Lion King..."

* * *

**018: Picture**

_Continuity: Anytime_

"Seriously?"

"Yes, George, I have a MySpace." Izzie was spending her break uploading pictures onto said MySpace. George was hovering nearby.

"That's such a stupid trend."

"Just because you don't know how to make one-"

"I could make one! I'm just...boycotting them." Izzie smirked. She had a look in her eye. _"_Izzie-"

"Smile!_" _Before George could react, she'd snapped several pictures. The flash had startled him, sending George stumbling backward into a patient who promptly vomited on him. In minutes,Izzie had a picture of George covered in vomit uploaded under the caption 'my best friend'.

"...I hate MySpace..."

* * *

**019: Friend**

_Continuity: _During_ A Hard Day's Night_

He was tying his shoelace when she walked in. Even though they'd met at the mixer, George hadn't spoken to her since. But she was still blonde, still stacked, and most definitely still a super model.

And he was still just George.

He cleared his throat loudly as she closed her locker, earning her attention. " You're Isobel Stevens, right?"

She playfully punched him in the shoulder. "What did I tell you about my name at the mixer?"

"That your friends call you Izzie."

"Call me Izzie."

George paused. "Oh. Okay. Izzie."

"George, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

* * *

**020: Forever**

_Continuity: Anytime_

Izzie slips into George's room one night, just to watch him sleep. She knows George watches her sleep, and wonders why he does it. Now, watching him, she know why. George looks content now.

"George?"

Silence answers her. Izzie eases the covers back and scoots into bed next to him, not really surprised when George's arms wrap around her without his knowing. This is what usually happens. In the morning, they'll wake up with their limbs completely entangled.

Izzie finds it easier to sleep in George's bed than in her own. And sometimes, Izzie wishes she could stay here forever.


	5. Chapter 5: Want

**Doc Note: **To be clear, 'Need' is basically a bit of a re-write of that dark kitchen, alcohol vent-needing, GEORGETOTALLYNEEDSIZZIE scene. Actually, I changed one line. But I still like it. xD

* * *

**021: Secret**

_Continuity: Late Season One_

Izzie stared at George.

George stared back.

"Don't tell anyone."

"I can't believe I just saw that..."

"_You're_ the one that always goes on about privacy in the bathroom," she reminded him as she wrapped the towel more firmly around her body, catching his eyes wandering again. "George, stop staring at my ass."

He blinked. "Sorry. It's just weird."

"Promise me you won't tell anyone. It was...a spur of the moment thing."

"Don't worry about it, Izzie," George murmured grabbing his toothbrush. "I won't tell anyone that you have 'Michael Jackson's Girl' tattooed on your ass..."

"I was drunk!"

* * *

**022: Emotion**

_Continuity:_ During _My Favorite Mistake_

They'd had an entire conversation without words. Actions spoke louder than words. Izzie's hand on his cheek. Moving her hand, holding it only for a second, and then leaving. She must think he wanted nothing to do with that night.

But he was lying. He was lying to Izzie and to himself.

After he left the linen closet, George slid down the wall and sat, head in his hands. The rush of emotions he'd felt when Izzie's hand brushed his cheek was insane.

He was only sure of one thing.

There couldn't possibly be a more complicated emotion than love.

* * *

**023: Dream**

_Continuity:_ After _Wishin' and Hopin'_

Sometimes, she'd jam her eyes shut until she could only see white and then open them again. This was a ritual Izzie had used since she was five years old. Maybe, if you closed your eyes and wished hard enough, you'd wake up from your terrible dream safe in your own bed. Or in Izzie's case, in George's bed.

Unfortunately, when Izzie caught sight of the O'Malleys walking hand in hand down the hallway, she knew this was no dream. It might classify as a nightmare, however.

In this nightmare, George was happy.

So, why wasn't she happy for him?

* * *

**024: Want**

_Continuity: _After_ Time After Time_

I want you to want me.

"... _I still miss you, not the sex. It was not tragic, George. But I'll live without it. But I won't make it if you can't be my friend_."

Izzie needed George to be her friend. She needed that security blanket.

But that didn't mean she didn't want the sex. She wanted it to the point of breaking down in linen closets.

Here she was, sitting in the dark, wanting him.

But George didn't want her. He wanted Callie.

And while Izzie needed George to be her friend, she wanted him to be something more.

* * *

**025: (Author's Choice Four) Need **

_Continuity:_ During_ Scars and Souvenirs_

"I need you to get over yourself. I need you to start liking my wife. I need you to like her because sometimes I don't and I need you to talk me back into it. You say you're my friend and that's the job."

"Okay."

"I need to vent, and I need it to be Okay."

"Okay."

"And I need to vent with alcohol." George held up a bottle of bourbon. Izzie moved through to pour the alcohol into glasses. His hand caught her wrist. Their eyes met in the darkness.

"I just need you. To be there for me."


	6. Chapter 6: Past, Present, Future

**Doc Note: **Wow. Round six already. I've completed my set drabble challenge of thirty. My brain won't be able to come up with anymore prompts. So, if you want more O'Stevens DrabbleFic from me, you'll need to come up with some prompts.

On a side note, the last four drabbles are 'connected' in a sense, forming a bit of a larger story. The only two that follow directly are '**Future**' and '**Truth**' but '**Past**' and '**Present**' sort of go along with them, showing how the George/Izzie relationship has evolved. Happy reading!

* * *

**026: Elevator**

_Continuity: _After _My Favorite Mistake_

_Ding!_

The elevator doors opened, and she hovered awkwardly outside. He'd averted his gaze from hers as she slipped in. They stood silently at opposite sides of the elevator.

Izzie stared at George.

George stared at his shoelaces.

Izzie opened her mouth, and her eyes met his cold glare.

George stared at her for only a moment before she looked away.

_Ding!_

The elevator opened, and he left her alone. Again.

And George stared blankly at the closed elevator doors for a long time, wondering when exactly he'd become the guy who left pretty girls broken in small, confined spaces.

* * *

**027: Past**

_Continuity: Mid-Late Season Two; Izzie's thoughts on George, George's thoughts on Izzie_

George is the only guy I know who genuinely listens. He'll sit up late at night just to talk. After a breakup, he's the guy waiting with tissues and a box of chocolate. George doesn't mind my late night rants on the stupidity of man. And he's my best friend.

Izzie is loud. She's strong and a good doctor. She's emotional sometimes, but in a good way, not a PMS way. She eats way more then she should, and she's a hospital gossip. But Izzie listens to me, and she sees me as a person. And she's my best friend.

* * *

**028: Present**

_Continuity: _After_ My Favorite Mistake; Izzie's thoughts on George, George's thoughts on Izzie_

George is the kind of guy girls see as a friend, and not as a potential romance. But George is sweet, and kind, and he cares about people. I ignored what was right in front of me. And I missed out on something big. But mostly I just miss him.

Izzie is the reason my marriage is on the rocks. She's my best friend. She's supposed to support me, and tell me it's okay. She's not supposed to ruin this. She's notsupposed to have secret feelings for me. And I'm not supposed to rethink my marriage because of her.

* * *

**029: Future**

_Continuity: The not-so-distant future_

Somehow, it all came spilling out. A rumor was started, and rumors spread like wildfire through Seattle Grace. It was only a matter of time before word got back around to the source.

"Everyone knows, George."

He was pacing in a circle. This linen closet was officially their new headquarters. _"_Everyone_?"_

She nodded. "Callie, too."

George's eyes flickered. "We'll just have to tell them the truth." Izzie ignored the hope springing in her chest. "That it was a drunken fling."

This time, it was Izzie who left George alone in the linen closet.

And she slammed the door after her.

* * *

**030: (Author's Choice Five) Truth**

_Continuity: Five minutes_ After _**'Future'**_

"George_?"_

"Yeah_?"_

"It wasn't a drunken fling. It was deep, and passionate, and we both meant it. _Every single time_."

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could form a word her hand was over his mouth. "Don't. I'm telling the truth now, okay? And I know you think it was a mistake. But..." Izzie forced herself to finish. "I think I..._like_ you."

Again, he took her hand for a brief moment and dropped it.

But this time, George leaned in and her lips met his in all of their pent up desire in a passionate kiss.


End file.
